


Bright Blue City Lights

by Kalcifer



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - American High School, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, F/F, Fluff and Humor, Meme Queen Natsumi Kuzuryuu
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2017-05-20
Packaged: 2018-11-02 17:29:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,899
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10949331
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalcifer/pseuds/Kalcifer
Summary: Peko likes to think that she’s a practical person, but she’s still watching Sonia along with everyone else. It’s idle curiosity, mostly. She wants to see how this stranger with the immaculate clothing and cutesy bow will handle the chaos that is their class.





	Bright Blue City Lights

**Author's Note:**

> It's my birthday, so rather than work on any of the things that I should be working on, have a self-indulgent fic for a favorite rarepair of mine.  
>   
> The "Meme Queen Natsumi Kuzuryuu" tag is shamelessly stolen from [EventualGhost](http://archiveofourown.org/users/EventualGhost/pseuds/EventualGhost), who writes excellent Kuzupeko fics that you should definitely go read.  
>   
> I hope you enjoy this ridiculousness!

Peko meets Sonia on the first day of their sophomore year. Sonia is the new kid, the one who moved from somewhere or maybe just was homeschooled until now, the gossip isn’t clear. She does have the good fortune to join the class at the beginning of the year. The fact that it’s the first day means that she’s spared having the teachers single her out for introductions.

That doesn’t mean that people don’t notice her. Hope’s Pak isn’t tiny, but it’s not large enough that most of the class hasn’t known each other for years now. All eyes are on Sonia as they go through the standard first-day icebreakers.

Peko likes to think that she’s a practical person, but she’s still watching Sonia along with everyone else. It’s idle curiosity, mostly. She wants to see how this stranger with the immaculate clothing and cutesy bow will handle the chaos that is their class.

Sonia watches the introductions without showing any surprise, even after Ibuki’s dramatic speech about the meaning of her name. When it’s her turn, she smiles sweetly. “I am Sonia Nevermind,” she says. “I’m looking forward to experiencing the bonds that form in an American public school!”

Peko has to resist the urge to bury her face in her hands. This new girl is clearly doomed.

Still, there’s something about her that commands attention, even aside from her shiny newness. She’s not as exuberant as certain other people Peko could mention, but she’s self-assured in a way that makes people take notice. She’s charismatic, too. So much so that you can’t even bring yourself to mind the way she takes the spotlight. It’s as if she doesn’t notice her effect on other people.

That’s what Peko assumes, anyway, watching the way her classmates react to Sonia. She sees Sonia discuss the occult with Gundham and talk anime with Ryota, share her lunch with Akane and keep Chiaki from falling asleep in class. Peko may have underestimated her.

By the end of the day, Sonia has managed to ingratiate herself with the rest of the class to an extent that an outside observer would be hard-pressed to name her as the newcomer. Peko is both impressed and slightly envious. She resolves to stop paying attention to Sonia. She has an answer to her initial question, so there’s no reason to bother.

And yet tomorrow comes and Peko still can’t take her eyes off Sonia. Peko doesn’t understand it. There’s nothing to set Sonia apart from Mahiru, or any of the other girls in the class, each of whom is eccentric in their own way. (And eccentric is definitely the word for Sonia, judging by the way her eyes sparkle when she describes serial killers in their history class.)

Perhaps this is Sonia’s charisma at work. It’s the best answer Peko has, though she wouldn’t have expected to be drawn in by it. She certainly doesn’t understand the way people respond to Munakata, no matter how often people call him charismatic.

A week passes, and Peko still has no answers. This is despite the fact that she’s still getting distracted by Sonia when she should be paying attention in class. It’s a little annoying, honestly. She’s resolved to ignore her countless times already, and sometimes she even succeeds. She does her homework and practices kendo and goes about her daily life. Then she has class with Sonia again, and suddenly she realizes she’s missed part of the lecture because she was thinking about Sonia’s laugh.

It’s a relief in more ways than one when Fuyuhiko invites her over after class. They’ve been friends as long as either of them can remember, and he is all too aware of how little she likes spending time at her own house. The invitation is both an opportunity for her to escape and a sign of things returning to normal. She hopes it is, at least. Being hyperaware of her classmate is just weird.

Peko spends enough time at the Kuzuryuus’ that no one bothers trying to treat her like a guest anymore. She just comes in and settles on the couch. Fuyuhiko is moving to join her when he’s waylaid by his sister, who is grinning slyly. “So,” she says. Peko watches with amusement as Fuyuhiko tenses, trying to figure out what she’s planning this time. “I hear Hajime’s started dating someone, but he won’t tell me who it is. You don’t know, do you?”

“Psh, no, there’s no way that’s true.” Fuyuhiko relaxes and waves a hand dismissively. “No one in this class can keep a secret for shit. If he were dating someone, the whole school would know.”

“I see.” Natsumi contrives to look as innocent as she can, which isn’t very. “And you aren’t just saying that because you’re jealous? I know you like him.”

“What?” Fuyuhiko sits bolt upright. “What the hell? Dude, we’re not even that close.”

“Uh-huh…” Natsumi says. “So you spend all your time hanging around him just because.”

“Okay, one, that is a blatant lie. I have other friends.” Fuyuhiko pauses. “My classmates are idiots anyway. And two, I repeat: what the fuck? Why would I even have a crush on him?”

Natsumi shrugs. “How would I know? Your taste has always been shit.”

Fuyuhiko throws his hands in the air. “Yeah, and you’re one to talk, Miss ‘I tease Mahiru because I’m too afraid to tell her I like her’.”

Natsumi scowls. “I know you’re just trying to distract me, but dude, what the fuck. As if I would have anything to do with that loser, much less like her.”

“Sure thing, you hypocrite.” Fuyuhiko crosses his arms. “Anyway, why don’t you ever do this to Peko? She can have friends without facing the Spanish Inquisition.”

Peko blinks at the mention of her name. Oh good, now she’s getting drawn into this. She stands up, vaguely planning to get a drink before either Kuzuryuu brings her into the conversation.

“That’s because she isn’t as much fun to tease,” Natsumi says. Peko isn’t quite out of the room in time to escape the inevitable question. “But if you insist, then sure. Hey Peko, do you have a crush on anyone?”

Peko sighs and turns back to the squabble. “No,” she says flatly. Natsumi flashes a triumphant grin, but Peko pauses. Now that she’s thinking about it, she’s really not sure how she’d tell if she did. Where’s the line between friendship and romance? She’s fond of the Kuzuryuus, for instance, but she doesn’t think she’d want to date either of them.

She finds her thoughts drifting toward Sonia without her fully realizing it. She supposes if she had to date someone, she wouldn’t mind it being Sonia. She seems like she would be fun to hang out with, and she’s certainly aesthetically pleasing.

Fuyuhiko narrows his eyes at Peko, who’s still frozen in thought. “Wait, do you?”

“Maybe?” Peko says helplessly. “I’m not entirely sure.”

“Okay,” Natsumi says, suddenly serious. “Why don’t you just start by telling us about your maybe-crush?”

Peko isn’t really sure where to begin. “Well, she’s… eccentric.”

“So anyone in our class,” Fuyuhiko snorts.

“Come on,” Natsumi says. “Don’t be so judgmental. With that description, it could also be anyone in my class.”

Peko ignores their bickering with practiced ease. “But she’s generous, and bright, and always enthusiastic. She commands the spotlight, but then she looks at you and you don’t even mind, because it’s worth it to have her attention.”

That’s about when Peko’s brain catches up to her mouth. She blushes, sure that she sounds like an idiot. The Kuzuryuus are both staring at her, and she’s beginning to regret saying anything. There’s no need for this ridiculous distraction to become anything more.

Natsumi whistles. “Yeah, I’d say that’s a crush. Way to go, Peko!”

“So, when are you planning to ask her out?” Fuyuhiko asks.

It’s a reasonable question, probably, but Peko has no idea how to answer. She’s only known Sonia for a week. She doesn’t want to impose or make Sonia uncomfortable. And she’s never been on a date, and she’s well aware of how she comes off to most other people, so it would probably just be better for everyone if she didn’t say anything.

Fuyuhiko groans. “I recognize that face. That’s your ‘I’m going to sacrifice my own happiness in the misguided belief that it’s better for someone else’ face, isn’t it.”

Peko has no idea how he got something that specific from her expression, but she can’t exactly deny it. She would argue the misguided point, but she can’t see herself winning that fight, especially not with Natsumi in the room. She’s accepted that the Kuzuryuus are quick to jump on anything they think is her not properly valuing herself, which is endearing and irritating in equal measures.

Natsumi and Fuyuhiko exchange looks. Peko doesn’t know how, but somehow they seem to reach an agreement without saying anything. “Okay, since you clearly need a push, Fuyuhiko and I are going to step in,” Natsumi says.

Peko’s stomach sinks. As much as she loves the Kuzuryuus, she isn’t sure that she trusts them with her love life. She can only see this ending in tears, and she doesn’t want to think about whose.

Natsumi seems very pleased with herself, though, and Peko knows it’s futile to argue with her once she’s decided on something. You can only let it run its course until everything is up in flames. Even then, she’ll stand in the wreckage convinced that things would have gone perfectly if someone else hadn’t ruined everything.

“Anyway,” Peko says, in what she’s sure is a transparent attempt to get them to forget about her possible crush. “What’s going on in your class, Natsumi? Is that Hagakure guy still being annoying?”

Fuyuhiko shoots her a look that says that he knows exactly what she’s doing. Natsumi picks up the bait, though, which Peko is grateful for. She can almost forgive her for being the reason she needs to change the subject in the first place.

“Ugh,” Natsumi says dramatically. “I swear, if he keeps pestering me about telling his fortune I am going to carve his kidneys out with a butter knife.”

“That sounds like a lot of work,” Fuyuhiko comments. “I mean, sure, you want to make him suffer, but you have to do it in a way that doesn’t have you wasting all day sawing at him while he’s screaming and crying. That’s just annoying.”

“You could always sedate him,” Peko says.

“Yeah, but then he won’t feel it, and that’s just no fun,” Fuyuhiko says.

“Okay, smart guy, how would you deal with him?” Natsumi asks.

Fuyuhiko stares at the ceiling in thought. “Maybe cut off his nose or something. That way you’re done quickly, and he’s stuck with the reminder for the rest of his life.”

Natsumi snorts. “You just stole that from the Princess Bride.”

“It’s a solid idea, though.”

They end up googling methods of torture to try to find something that is both easy and a sufficient warning. Peko shakes her head and warns them that they’re both going to end up on a federal watch list, but she can’t help but smile. They’re both ridiculous, and she’s glad to have them as friends. She just hopes that they’ll forget about her ill-advised feelings.


End file.
